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Ownership costs of traditional versus alternative fuel vehicles

As gas prices remain high, and an increasing number of automakers roll out plug-in hybrid cars and full-electric vehicles, it's becoming easier to be tantalized with the idea of driving right past the gas station and simply "plugging in." The debate ensues when it comes to cost: These alternative fuel vehicles mean a larger outlay of cash at the onset, but the long-term fuel savings could make the purchase worthwhile. To help straighten out this numbers game, we use the Department of Energy's Vehicle Cost Calculator to compare alternative fuel vehicles with their gasoline-only counterparts. For each scenario, we assumed that our hypothetical owner was able to get the full $7,500 federal tax credit and a $2,500 state tax credit, such as is available in California.

Arizona auctions: Scottsdale sales net an estimated $157 million

WITH VIDEO -- Five days of sales staged by auto auction companies in the Phoenix area pulled in a combined estimated total of $157 million, according to Hagerty Insurance. The five companies staging auctions--Barrett-Jackson, Gooding & Co., RM Auctions, Russo and Steele and Silver Auctions--offered 2,887 lots for sale and sold 2,325 of them, an 81 percent sell-through rate. A 2006 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione at the Gooding auction was listed as the top single sale with a price of $2.09 million, Hagerty said.

Fiat's U.S. sales increasing with new ads, 500 Abarth interest

After a slow start, Fiat 500s are starting to move off of dealer lots, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Fiat executives claim that the public debut of the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth at the Los Angeles auto show and some provocative advertising have led to increased interest in the Fiat brand. February was the best sales month yet for the model that Fiat chose to reintroduce Americans to sub-$100,000 Italian cars.